Improvement in gelatinated explosive compounds



ALFRED NOBEL, OF PARIS, FRANC ABMENGAUD, sa,

BMPRQVEMENT lid GELATINA Specification forming part of Letters I Patent No E, ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES EUGENE OF SAME PLAoE.

TED EXPLOSIVE COMPOUNDS.

. B 15,735,, dated April 4, 1876; application filed March 15,1876.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED NOBEL, engineer, residing in Paris, in the Republic of France, have invented Improvements in Explosive Compounds, of which the following is a specification:

The object of my.invention is to convert liquid explosives (especially, nitro-glyeerine) from their fluid state,.which is fraught with great danger and much inconvenience, to a solid or semi -solid consisteudy, highly-conducive to safety, and altering great facility for use.

To attain that object, I dissolve in the explosive liquid a substance capable of gelatinatin g it without destroying or materially weakening the explosive power. Nitro-glycerinc, which is the most powerful ofexplosive liquids, l. gelatinatc by dissolving in it when gently heated nitrated fiber, such as gun-cotton, or collodion-cotton, or other substance serving the same purpose.

Nitro-glycerine, when heated in a waterbath, readily dissolves nitrated cotton, and

forms, with that substance, a new composition of matter, which, when it contains from six to seven per cent. of nitrated cotton, has the consistency of a solid jelly, which is very safe, and highly suitable for every purpose to which very powerful explosives can be applied.

Nitro-glycerine is not the only explosive liquid which can thus be gelatinated; but those that, rank next in power-viz, the nitrates of methyl and cthyl'-are very volatile, and cannot compete with nitro-glycerine as blasting agents.

Nitro-glycerine and gun-cotton have been mixed long ago-first by me in 1863 but that mechanical mixture is widely different from the above composition of matter, which consists of nitrated cotton dissolved in nitroglycerine.

Gelatinated nitro-glycerine readilytakes up, by kneading them together, any kind of explosive or semiexplosive lI1&.l.lit61--Sll0h as gunpowder,organicnitro-compounds,ororganic compounds in general-mixed in due cheniieal proportions, calculated for complete combnstion, with oxidizin g agents-such as are the nitrates and chlorates. Such mixtures serve lence of action, and manufacturing cost,-and are sometimes useful for blasting mild rock.

tro-glyccrinc; or torty-three parts oi chlorate of potash, seven parts of charcoal, and'fifty parts of gclatinatet'l nitro-glycerinc; or fort-y-six parts of nitrate of ammonia, four parts ot'ch coal and fifty parts ofgelatinated nitroglycerine; or forty-two parts of nitrate ot' soda, eight parts of charcoal, and tit'ty parts of gela tinated nitro-glycerine may be cit-ed as types of such mixtures.

concussion, which sometimes is required chiefly in its application to military purposes, 1 mix it with a small quantity (more or less,

gunpowder, gun-cotton, picrate of potaslnunfrozen dynamite, nnhardencd gelatinated ni tro'glycerine, or other suitable substance.

Gelatinated nitroglyeerine, mixed or not with other explosives, or semi-explosives, does not absolutely require the aid of a detona itin a confined space but although acomtnon fuse will set it oii, a' detonator-cap quickens the explosion.

What I claim, anddcsirc to secure by Let tors Patent, is v 1. The method of gelatinating nitro-glycerine'aud other explosive liquids-such as to reduce the concentration of power, vio

Fifty parts, by weight, of gunpowder, mixedwith lift-y parts, by weight, of gelatinated ni- To render nitro-glycerine less sensitive "to.

according as the sensibility is to be more or.

setting over the charge asmall cartridge of' tor-cap (such as used for dynamite) to explode.

the nitrates of methyl and ethyl-by (lissolv- In testimony whereof I have signed" my iug in the explosive liquid a substance caname to this specification in the presence of pahle of gelatiuatiug it, substantially as (10- two subscribing witnesses:

scribed. ALFRED NOBEL.

2. As a new article of manufacture, gel- Witnesses: atinated nitro-glycerine, substantially as de- ALFRED GOINY,

scribed. AUGUSTE OHERUT. 

